we recently joined a gym with gooood childcare, an incredible swimming set-up, and spa-like locker rooms.
here’s more on why this choice is working really well for us this season.
and here’s a few of my favorite things I bring with us when KK and I head to the gym:
when I go to the gym, I bring:
my locker room stuff:
my favorite bag I’ve had for years
in my past life of our 12 Trips in 12 Months this was my go-to carry-on
change of clothes
my favorite shoes to wear to the pool…but also to wear in the shower
my favorite toiletry bag with:
my skincare + makeup - this post mentions alllll the things I do for my dry, hi-i-swim-a-lot skin and hair!
ear drops
a smaller bag* with my beloved hair oil
THIS HAIR OIL IS THE BEST STUFF EVER FOR MY THICK, HI-I-SWIM-A-LOT HAIR!
*in my past life of our 12 Trips in 12 Months this was what I used for my carry-on toiletries
my swimming stuff:
I buy all my stuff through SwimOutlet - this link gives you a discount on your first order!
I usually buy Speedo swimsuits since they seem longer and fit my tall frame better.
I wear (and love!) my Apple watch.
I don’t really have product recommendations, other than everything I purchased are things I found highly rated on SwimOutlet years ago. I also don’t have links since my things are so old, but searching SwimOutlet will give you similar things. I bring:
a mesh bag to keep my equipment in
goggles + a spare set of goggles
a silicone cap made for long hair (I have a lotttt of hair and a big head, so most caps don’t fit me)
kickboard
pull buoy + paddles
fins
printed workouts from my Masters swim team coach
I keep these in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag to keep them dry while I swim - and I tuck my phone in here too while I swim in case childcare calls me
but sometimes I ignore these printed workouts and just swim whatever I’m craving
my zippered pouch
this pouch is what I store my essentials in, and I move it around based on where KK and I are going that day - here’s a peek at our daily schedule. so some days it gets thrown in my gym bag, some days it goes in my day-to-day bag.
keys, phone, airpods + airpod case, spare headphones, chapstick, granola bar
my laptop + protective case, if needed
because a lot of times I get the best ideas while swimming. and if KK is with Brett (or if KK is happily playing in childcare), I’ll take my computer to the cafe area for a few minutes to get started on my ideas.
here’s more on why joining a gym is working really well for us this season.
when kk comes with me to the gym and goes to childcare, I bring:
all of the above list, plus…
aka how we survive leaving the house (and how we survive going to the gym/pool so often).
we also love our wagon. these two things are also crazy-levels of durable, indestructible, and comfortable/convenient/smooth/easy. BLESS.
yep, you read that correctly. whenever we go to our gym and its super nice pools (which can be as often as six days a week), I take my stroller. so I have my stroller dressed to the nines: a nice caddy on top, a snack tray for kk, a cup holder, a huge hook, and my stroller cooler. it may sound silly, but it these additions have been game changers for me, and they keep my bottom basket from being an overwhelming pile of stuff.
and having a cooler on my stroller means we have the best spot for pool snacks, etc.
spare clothes + diapers + baby wipes + hand sanitizer
I keep these things in the bottom of the stroller in a toiletry bag for just in case
a packed lunch (and snacks!) for us
see more on our lunchbox (and snack!) favorites here!
her water bottle (or this one!)
if kk and I go to the pool together, I bring:
all of the KK stuff I listed above, plus…
my Packed Pool Bag - this explained in my Pool (and Summer!) Essentials blogpost here!
kk’s favorite swimsuit, my favorite swimsuit, kk’s swim diapers, our favorite biggggg zippered canvas bag, our favorite cover-ups, our favorite pool shoes, etc
see a full list with links of all our Pool (and Summer!) Essentials here!
a change of clothes for us both
after we go to the pool, we usually take full advantage of the nice family locker rooms. so oftentimes I’ll shower KK at the gym. but here’s our bathtime favorites at home!
my above toiletry bag I listed above with my stuff, plus:
this shampoo/soap + this lotion
KK isn’t really trained yet on how to shower, so right now I bring our tear-free shampoo instead of risking the gym’s shampoo
this nose picker/ear cleaner/nail swiper gadget - BEST THING EVER
these things live in my Packed Pool Bag - this explained in my Pool (and Summer!) Essentials blogpost here!
pool toys: which, right now, KK’s favorite pool toys are measuring cups and those big plastic cups from college/professional sports games.
And what helps me the most is that our bags stay packed. And we keep them on our Wall o Hooks. So I hardly ever unpack and repack these bags. They’re just hanging in the hallway, ready to be replenished and grabbed.
Our Wall O Hooks
we had a great big unused space of wall near our front door. and I knew just what we needed. because that’s the thing - make your home work for you. while I could’ve put a great piece of art or a stylish bench, I knew we needed hooks.
so our big space of wall became one of our MVPs of our home, thanks to a double decker set of these hooks in our hallway. two rows - one up top, one lower for younger people - three sets of hooks each. so six total. WALL O HOOKS, BABY.
and while this is great year-round, this is phenomenal for summer. one of my summer essentials, if you will. the entire summer, this Wall O Hooks is the drop zone for everything: swim bags, gym bags, damp towels, wet swimsuits, hats, Packed Pool Bag, cover-ups, etc etc etc. it keeps things off my counters and off my floors. and more importantly, it allows things to dry in time for our next adventure.
want to see a visual of this? see my “hallway” highlight on my Instagram!
because our home is made for living. and these Wall O Hooks may not be beautiful, but gosh do they make our lives easier.
Enjoy this post? Come peek at my Instagram stories! I’m always showing clips of our daily life…which always seems to include some trip to the gym or pool, it seems.
You deserve whatever it is you need to take care of yourself. For me, that’s a gym membership, some frequently-used bags that stay packed, and a Wall O Hooks. Whatever works for you and your family is fantastic.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
